By Sally Churchward. Additional reporting by Spring Wise and Lewis Maclean. Images: Victorious Festival/Strong Island. It would be impossible to talk about day two of Victorious and not take a moment to shake your head ruefully at the weather. Unlike the crowd at the front of the Common stage –...
Entertainment Reviews
Review: Victorious Festival, Friday – Loius Tomlinson, Fatboy Slim, Snow Patrol and more
By Sally Churchward. Additional reporting: Lewis Macean. Images: Victorious Festival/Strong Island. Hats off to the booking team at Southsea’s Victorious Festival – they pulled an absolute blinder with Friday’s line up. Until last year, Friday was more of a mini-preview of the main weekend event – yes there were...
Review: Madagascar the Musical, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
By Joy McKay. Madagascar The Musical premiered in 2018 and is based on the 2005 DreamWorks animated film which follows a group of exotic animals, friends, who are escapees from New York City zoo. The show was due to star CBBC presenter and Strictly Come Dancing runner up Karim...
The Power of Punk: Punkfest raises more than £1000 for charity
By Laura McCarthy. Punkfest surpassed their £500 charity goal, hitting a total of over £1700 in aid of Naomi House and Jacksplace. Hosted by The Peg & Parrot in Totton on Saturday 10 August, Punkfest was a live music event in which local alternative bands from across Southampton and Portsmouth...
Lazy Sunday afternoon at The Wickham Festival
By Lewis MacLean The most relaxing day of the week was enhanced by the most relaxing festival in Southern England this weekend. For those not in the know, Wickham festival is renowned for its chill vibes, and you will see people enjoying a wide variety of musical genres at...
Review: Wickham Festival day 4, Manran, Tony Christie, Rura, Curtis Stigers, Katherine Priddy
By Graham Hiley. What a smooth ending to the Wickham Festival courtesy of two masters of their art. Curtis Stigers and Tony Christie shared headline billing in the Big Top and showed just why they have been at the top of their profession for so many decades. First up...
Review: Wickham Festival Day 3 – Levellers, Skipinnish, Ferocious Dog, John Otway and more
By Graham Hiley. Wickham fans faced the agony of choice thanks to an embarrassment of riches on Saturday night. There were so many top-class acts that they could not all be housed on one stage creating some tricky choices. Possibly the biggest clash came at the end of the...
Review: Wickham Festival Day 2 – Suzie Quatro, Muireann Bradley
By Graham Hiley. Suzi Quatro has famously said if she ever turns round and shakes her ass to silence then she will know that is the time to call it a day. Judging by the raucous reaction at the Wickham Festival she will be going for a long time...
Review: Southampton Ghost Tour
By Vicky Greer. We’re greeted in St Michael’s Square with the sight of seagulls fighting over discarded chicken. It’s not part of the Southampton Ghost Tour, but it feels like an omen for the grisly stories to come tonight. Our haunted walk around Old Town is presented by Supernatural...
Review: Wickham Festival Day 1
By Graham Hiley. It was a day of mix and match as the 2024 Wickham Festival got off to a fantastic start. Phil Odgers began with John Kettle playing songs by Phil Ochs from their new album Far Rockaway and then closed the night with the Men The Couldn’t...